1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cases that are used to store and transport containers therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to cases placed on a conveyor in an improper position. More particularly, the present invention the relates to devices that orient cases from an improper position to a proper position.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Cases and containers are often used for the transport of various objects from one location to another. In certain industries, it is common practice to place a plurality of fluid containers, such as milk bottles, cola bottles, alcoholic beverage containers, and other fluid containers within a single case. One type of case that is commonly employed is an injection-molded polymeric case having latticed walls. The bottom of the case is a closed end. The case has an open end opposite the bottom. The lattice walls extend between the closed end and the open end. A plurality of dividers are often used interior of the case so as to provide compartments into which to insert the various fluid containers.
In practice, it is common to stack these cases upon one another. Often the stacks can extend up to six feet in height. A large number of the cases can be stacked onto pallets. As a result, a forklift, or other transport vehicle, can be used so as to move the pallet, along with the stacked cases, from one location to another. Additionally, these cases are often stacked in very large quantities within the interior of a transport truck.
Unfortunately, given the generally rough handling conditions for these cases, a surface of the case can crack or otherwise be damaged. Because of the stacked nature of the transported cases, a crack in a case can propagate and cause the breakage of one of the lattice walls of the case. Any cases that are stacked upon the broken case have the potential for tilting or falling. As a result, the broken case not only can cause the destruction of the fluid containers within in the case, but can also result in a collapse of a stacked arrangement of cases. The result is not only the loss of the case, but also the loss of the products contained within the case. A great deal of labor is also required in order to repair the damage associated with the collapsed stack of cases. Experiments with the cases of this type have shown that there are approximately 30 broken cases out of every 7,000 units.
Because of the nature of these polymeric injection-molded cases, it is very difficult to visually see when a crack or split has occurred in one of the lattice walls of the case. The latticed nature of the walls of the case further obscures the ability to see a split. Visual inspection is generally inadequate in determining whether or not damage has occurred to the case. Manipulation by hand may determine if the case is damaged, but manual manipulation is a lengthy and time-consuming operation. Additionally, the strength that must be applied to determine whether a crack or split in the case has occurred may not be sufficient so as to properly indicate the damaged case. As such, a mechanical and automated technique is needed in order to determine whether or not a particular case has been damaged or defective.
Patents relating to devices for detecting the integrity of containers include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,984,409; 6,088,995; 6,237,431; 3,955,408; 4,530,246; and 6,473,169. One of the problems associated with such systems is that the cases are sometimes placed on a conveyer in an improper, upended, position. As the conveyer moves the upended case through the system, the upended case can be improperly discarded as a defective case. Moreover, the upended case can sometimes jam the conveyer system so as to cause the system to stop. The stoppage leads to reduced productivity and loss of time. Moreover, the stoppage requires a person to manually remove the upended case from the conveyer system. Thus, there is a need for a technique to properly position an upended case on a conveyer system.
Various patents have issued relating to the proper positioning of the cases on conveyer systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,798, issued on Nov. 17, 1987 to Hollmann, discloses an overhead case positioner system for inverting upended cases. The system includes a detector for sensing the presence of an upended case moving along a conveyor, a first stop for retarding movement of the upended case, a second stop for retarding movement of the succeeding case, a third stop spaced downstream of the first stop for engaging the upended case after it has been released by the first stop and an inverter mechanism for pivoting an upended case in abutment with the third stop forwardly over the third stop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,911 issued on Jun. 25, 1991 to Raasch et al., discloses a method and apparatus for tilting substantially rotationally symmetrical bodies from a shell surface thereof onto an end surface thereof. The body is moved in a given transport direction defining leading and trailing end surfaces of the body with the shell surface lying on a conveyor path. The movement continues until the body crosses a dividing plane. The dividing plane extends transversely between and defines edges of two path segments of the conveyor path. The body is stopped when the leading and trailing end surfaces are supported on different path segments. The edge of one of the path segments is subsequently selectively raised relative to the other of the path segments. The body is tilted about the raised edge onto the other of the path segments until the end surface located above the other of the path segments comes to rest on the other of the path segments. The tilted body is removed in the given transport direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,675, issued on Nov. 27, 1984 to Doherty et al., discloses a board turner apparatus and method capable of turning a board over several times for repeated inspection of both sides of the board for more accurate grading of such board before allowing the board to be conveyed forward past a retractable stop. The retractable stop means, when extended above the conveyor, engages the leading edge of the board at a fixed stop position along a conveyor means and keeps the board from advancing along the conveyor means until such stop means is retracted. The board inverter means includes a plurality of curved turner arms which pivot about the axis of a common support shaft between a lowered position below the upper surface of the conveyor and a raised position above such upper conveyor surface. The turner arms engage the leading edge of the board and cause it to pivot backwards about its trailing edge when such turner arms are pivoted from their lowered position to the raised position in an opposite direction to the movement of the conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,187, issued on Nov. 23, 1976 to Knez, discloses a method of turning a plurality of stackable cups to a position where the cups repose on their open and wider ends. The cups have a height which is less than the greatest diameter of the cups at their open ends. The cups are taken to a first zone on a continuously forwardly driven conveyor belt randomly assuming a position reposing on their bottom ends, reposing on their open ends or lying on one side. The cups are then moved through a second zone where those cups which are lying on one side are raised to a position where they repose on their open ends. Next, the cups are moved through a third zone where those cups reposing on their bottom ends are tipped over to a position where they repose their open ends. Finally, the cups are collected into a row and arranged after each other and led to a zone where the cups not reposing with their open ends on the belt are removed from the belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,757, issued on Feb. 4, 1975 to Kinney, discloses a method and apparatus for positioning concave articles on an upwardly moving elevator with the articles resting on a side portion thereof. The method includes the steps of moving the articles upwardly with the elevator, contacting a portion of the articles with a rotatable wheel positioned adjacent the elevator, moving the articles from the elevator to a commonly oriented position at one of first or second locations, and moving the commonly oriented articles from the first and second locations to a preselected location.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,890, issued on Mar. 13, 1962 to Belk, discloses an article handling apparatus that has a conveyer mounted for vertical movement, a latch arranged to releasably hold the conveyer in a raised position, and actuator located in the path of articles moving from the conveyer so that the articles engage and actuate the latch to release the conveyer for downward movement, and an article stop movably mounted adjacent the discharge end of the conveyer and arranged to be moved by the conveyer into the path of articles on the conveyer when the conveyer moves downward.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/672,402, filed on Sep. 29, 2003 by the present inventor, discloses an apparatus for detecting a cracked or broken case that has a frame, a conveyor mounted on the frame, and a ram affixed to the frame for applying a force onto a surface of a wall of the case. A sensor is cooperative with the ram for detecting when the surface of the wall of the case has deflected beyond a desired amount. An ejector is affixed to the frame for removing the case from the conveyor when the sensor has detected that the wall of the case has deflected beyond the desired amount.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a case positioner that automatically orients a case from an upended position to a corrected position.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a case positioner that correctly positions cases before cases enter a case-inspection system.
It is another object of the present invention to minimize the number of good-case ejections from a case-inspecting system.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a case positioner that automatically detects an upended case.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a case positioner that can adapt to any case-conveyer system.
It is still another object of the present invention to maximize the number of cases tested by a case-inspection system.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.